Marisel Vera grew up in the barrio in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, where she was raised by Puerto Rican emigrant parents. Vera studied writing with Paulette Roeske, Margaret Gibson, Jonis Agee, Rosellen Brown, and Cristina Garcia. Vera won the Willow Review literary magazine’s fiction prize for two of her short stories in 2000 and 2003.

In February 2011, Vera's coming-of-age novel THE LIBERATION OF CARMELA LOPEZ, was adapted into play form and directed by her daughter, Alyssa Vera Ramos. It premiered at Northwestern University's Musseter-Struble Theatre.

NEWS

Join Marisel for a discussion and signing at Revolution Books on August 24, 2012 at 7PM.

Marisel's book signing on August 20, 2011 was selected as a Critics' Pick by TimeOut Chicago. Actors Alyssa Vera Ramos and Alex Tey performed a dramatic reading of Chapter 24 of If I Bring You Roses. Click HERE to watch a video of the performance.

If I Bring You Roses was the October pick for the Las Comadres Book Club! AND a EDC Creations Fall Book, a www.latinabookclub.com book AND a Hot Book Club 2011 pick.

[If I Bring You Roses is] a love story you won’t forget, but also a moving story of Puerto Rican immigrants in Chicago in the 1940s and 50s. Remember her name, MARISEL VERA. We will be hearing more from her. Mark my words.